A Weird Kind of Day

Today started off like many of the other days, but it sure didn’t end that way.  We got up early, had breakfast and then headed into Fundão to check out the Feira again.  It happens only on Mondays, so this is a weekly ritual for my grandparents.  The Feira is more than just clothes and shoes and purses, but it is also a market for cheese and fish and meat.  As we were looking for parking, we got into a bit of an accident.  My avô backed into our rental car.  Not a good way to start the day, and a definite way to put a wrench in our plans for the week.

So, as my parents and my avô drove around to deal with the car issue, my avõ and I walked through the Feira.  We did a bit of shopping and then we all met up for lunch.

There is something in the air in this area that is really aggravating my allergies, so when we got back to the house, I had to go lay down for a bit.  We had a couple of hours to waste before the game, so it was perfect for me to have a nap.  Note to self: NEVER leave the country without your allergy medication.  The country that you travel to may not have the same quality of stuff for you.  The allergy meds here put me to sleep and don’t really cure me.  It’s as if they are saying “here: just go to sleep and keep sleeping until your allergies are not bothering you anymore.” Ah well, I wasn’t going to let it interfere with the game.

We arrived at the stadium early – 2 hours early – so we just hung out while we waited for it to start.  My allergies got worse.  In the hour and a half game, I sneezed constantly.  In retrospect, I kind of wish that I had counted how many times I sneezed, or better yet, how many sneezes per hour.  It was insane!!

The game was good.  Quite lively, I took tons of photos.  It ended in a scoreless tie, but I still enjoyed every minute of it.  And why wouldn’t I?  I was at a professional futebol game between two World Cup contendors. =)

After the game, we went to the hospital – for four hours.  Without going into specifics, my dad had a minor skin issue that was beginning to get badly infected, so we headed to emergency to get them to look at it.  And, we all know how “quick” and “fun” emergency rooms are …

Oh what a day …. :S

The Scenic Route

I’m officially on the home stretch.  6 days from today, I will be back on a plane, heading home.  Portugal has amazed me.  It really is everything that I dreamed it would be and more.  I could see myself here for a long period of time.

But, at the same time, it’s not home.  It’s not my bed.  My friends are not easily accessible.  And I’m kind of sick of this VW Polo.  I am quite glad that we don’t have Polo’s in Canada because I will be quite happy to never be in one again.

The last few days I’ve received random messages from people through various channels (twitter/facebook/email/text) asking how my trip is going and saying that they miss me.  Thank you.  It made me smile to know that I’ve been missed.  I’ve wondered before if I make that much difference in people’s lives.  And, although I’ve always known that the answer is yes, it is nice to have it proven to me.

If I disappear, people notice. =)

We’re almost back in Silvares.  We woke up in Lagos this morning to a cold wind and rain clouds in the sky.  Yes – it was a good day to leave.  We took the scenic route home – went to Almada before driving to Silvares.  Almada is right by Lisbon, and is the city where my mom grew up.  We stopped to see the Cristo Rei,

a monument built overlooking Lisbon and the Taigus river, a monument of Christ The King (Cristo-Rei) built to watch over the city of Lisbon and the fishermen as they go out to fish the river.  It was built in the 50′s and is yet another amazing monument and piece of history.

Alright, let’s recap – I have now completed the church portion of this trip, the wine portion of the trip is almost complete (I still need to buy a Port – we may run over to Porto on Tuesday), tomorrow we will fulfill our bonus futebol portion (I had only expected to buy a jersey for the world cup; a jersey and a world cup warm-up futebol game sounds just a little better); all that is left is the castle portion.  Considering we head to Lisbon on Thursday, I guess Wednesday is castle day!

Our journey continues …

What Country Am I In Again?

Since I stepped foot in the Algarve, I haven’t really needed to speak a word of Portuguese.  Apparently this is a key tourist spot for many Europeans – the English especially, so everyone speaks English here.  It’s been kind of odd.  I know that I’m in Portugal, but it doesn’t really sound like it.

Today was a relaxing day.  After finally giving up on my beach day, I walked back to the hotel.  If I can’t spend the day in the ocean, I may as well lay around by the pool and tan.  My parents were just hanging out in our room, not doing much, so I invited them to join me down by the pool.  We did that for a bit then headed over to the spa when the key sun hours were over.  I didn’t get a spa treatment, but I did take advantage of the amenities – fitness centre, pool, hot tub (although it was more of a jetted warm pool – wasn’t all that hot), turkish bath and sauna. Ahhhh … total relaxation.

Now, I know that this wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do in the Algarve, but it was still nice.  The weather didn’t co-operate, but I didn’t let it get me down.  I still have a nice tan and we’re coming into summer – now that I have a car, trips to the Okanagan will be much easier. =)

Tomorrow, we will be heading back to Silvares.  Back in the car.  I was so happy to not have to step foot in the car today.

People Watching

The wind is whipping around in all directions.  The waves crashing along the shore is one of my favourite sounds.  I find serenity in it.  Peace.  I could get lost in the waves. Go to my happy place.  Forget all my troubles.  Forget any sadness.  Any loneliness.  Just. Be. Happy.

A few people are out windsurfing in the ocean.  What a perfect day for that.  Maybe that’s their happy place.  Not a cloud in the sky.  A man is running along the beach.  Families are playing in the sand.  The sun is beating down in a glorious way.  A couple is walking along the beach with their gear which includes a bucket and a shovel.  Looks like their happy place is in making a sandcastle.

People watching in a vacation destination is always so interesting.  Most people are so much more relaxed and happy.  More willing to let loose and go to their happy places.

The wind is bone-chilling.  The sun is helping a lot, but I am beginning to believe that the wind may have more passion and desire to win.  I have a feeling that the wind may prevail.  I will not accept defeat.  I am on the beach.  It is not a good beach day.  I can accept that.  I am fine with the pool.  It is still a gloriously sunny day.  If I don’t dunk my head in the ocean, at least I’ve stepped foot in it.

The Ocean Life

We stayed in our cousin’s guest house in Burgau last night.  Burgau is a 10 minute drive from Lagos.  The guest house was quaint and it was a nice place to sleep after a long day of traveling down the coast.  We decided that we would like to stay in a hotel for the rest of our visit down here though.  It’s great to have family all over the place and to have the option of staying with them to save money, but it’s also nice to stay in a nice hotel.  We found a room in a resort hotel in Lagos.  Our room has a view of the ocean, free breakfast included and all the amenities you could ask for in a 4 star resort.

The wind is crazy here right now.  Apparently we picked the wrong time to come.  Ah well, I’m still in the Algarve.  I’m still enjoying the amazing scenery, the amazing ocean, and the amazing sun.  I just don’t think that I will be doing much ocean swimming while I’m down here.  Again, no big deal.  If I knew how to surf well and if I was here with people who like to surf, this would be great.  The waves are small, but still pretty good for surfing/wind-surfing/boogie-boarding/sailing … This is paradise.

We drove around today, checking things out.  Found a little restaurant on the beach in Luz to eat at.  After lunch, mom and I walked over to put our feet in the water.  The water is a little chilly, but on a calm day, I think that it would be quite refreshing.  Since it’s not so calm, I’ll just enjoy the tan that I will get while I’m here.

After Luz we drove in to Lagos to see if we could take a boat trip along the coast.  Melanie and Irene took one one day when they were down here and they loved it.  Unfortunately, the crazy water wouldn’t allow us to do even that.  Alrighty then, what kind of sightseeing CAN we do?  Back in the car, we drove to the praia do Martinhal, then to Sagres, checked out a store and looked at the views, and finally we went over to S. Vicente.

S. Vicente is the last town in the southwest corner of Portugal.  Kilometre 0.  The beginning or the end of Portugal.  We stood on the cliff and took lots of photos – that’s pretty much all that you can do – the cliffs are pretty high up there.

It was a good day.  Our cousin took us over to her friend’s place, who owns a little winery, and we tried some wine and chatted for awhile before heading back to our hotel.

I’m on my own for tomorrow.  I’d like to hang out on the beach and lie around the pool all day, while my parents find other things to do.  I think that it will be good for all of us to branch off a bit.  Spending 24 hours a day together can be a little much at times.  Everyone needs a little me time.

The Beach: I have Arrived in the Algarve

After waking up and having breakfast in the eeriest hotel I’ve ever seen, we started heading south; destination: Algarve.  Along the way, we stopped to do tours of the Grutas here in Portugal – caves with stalactites.  We went to two of them – wow.  That’s really all that I can say.  Utterly amazing what can happen from a little precipitation mixed with CO2.  Check out my pics here.

After a long day, we finally arrived in Lagos.  And … wow again!  You should see the view.  I’m beat.  I’m off to bed.  Busy day of enjoying the Algarve tomorrow. =D

Another Movie-like Moment

Although she doesn’t read my blog, my friend Vicki would appreciate this story.  One of our favourite scenes in the movie “Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle” is the one where they are waiting to cross the street.  The second that they give in to jaywalking is the exact same second that the police officer shows up to write them a ticket.  A constant joke between Vicki and I, that scene will always make me chuckle.  My dad has been experiencing something along the same lines as we drive along the freeway.  Each time he goes to pass a car, he checks to ensure that there is no one in the left lane.  The shoulder checks prove to him that there is NO ONE in sight in that lane …. BUT …. the minute that he pulls out to pass the car, all out of nowhere vehicles show up speeding up behind him.  It’s quite comical …